Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from your farmers at Daily Harvest Farm!

And meet the newest addition, Leo:

Thanks for a great year. See you all in 2012!

Daily Harvest Farm has a new home!

That's right! We've moved! Earlier this year I got a lease for a new plot of land in Fabius, NY. I spent the later part of the Summer and Fall assessing the new land, improving soil fertility with compost from Springside Farm (conveniently located right up the road!), seeding cover crops and planting garlic. While I am sad to leave our generous hosts and friends in Marcellus, I am excited for new possibilities. I don't think I could have asked for a better spot for my first two growing seasons though. It offered me a space to get my start, challenges to learn from, and countless benefits. I am taking with me great memories of lonely afternoons where I would just sing and talk to the crops. And of the nosy, retired farmer neighbor that would check in from time to time, telling me I "work awfully hard for those weeds".

 Alfalfa growing in August before being tilled in. 

Our new farm location in Fabius is rich, flat land that grew a luscious crop of alfalfa all last year and was grazed by the farm's handful of sheep. The farm got their hay cuttings from that alfalfa before I tilled it back into the soil where it could feed the soil microbes and earthworms. I am very excited to learn about this new soil, which is a gravely silt loam. It will be a big adjustment for me as I transition from heavy clay soil. This soil does not hold nutrients or water as well, yet will be mush drier in the Spring for early plantings. My plan is to build the soil's organic matter and structure (and hence water holding capacity) as I go, adding compost and focusing on green manures and mulches to retain moisture.

View of the (now finished) barn after the field was plowed.

I hope you will come visit our new farm location as we start planting in the Spring. We will host volunteer days, tours, and even some potluck picnics as we get settled in our new spot! A new season is right around the corner!